


Checkered with Disputes

by Giddygeek



Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: Imported, M/M, Therapy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-02
Updated: 2014-08-02
Packaged: 2018-02-11 11:20:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 550
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2066229
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Giddygeek/pseuds/Giddygeek
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"You do realize that this is partnership counseling?"</p>
            </blockquote>





	Checkered with Disputes

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted to lj in 2010.

"He doesn't listen," Danny said, leaning forward. "He doesn't, he--do you know, this guy, I specifically told him _not_ to finish the last of the milk in the fridge, right? I needed it for my coffee; his coffee, he takes with enough sugar-substitute to choke a horse, but no milk. And do you know what he did?"

"I didn't drink it," Steve said, sullen.

Danny didn't look at him, said, "He _used_ it." He splayed his hands out, _do you see what I have to deal with_?

"I needed it," Steve defended himself, turning to Danny on the couch. "For _science_."

"For--oh yeah, science guy?" Danny pointed at him. "Well then, you needed it, I needed it, you used it, you tell me this. You couldn't _replace_ it?"

Steve stared at him. "Replace it? Replace--okay, _you_ tell _me_ this. When you used the last of the condoms, did I make you replace them? No. I just went to the store and bought more because I knew we were out, and then when I needed one, I used one. Problem solved."

Danny stared back. Across the room, from her comfortable armchair, the shrink coughed a little, politely.

"You do realize that this is partnership counseling?" Danny said, his tone extra-polite in the way that meant he was seconds from either pulling out his hair, or contemplating pulling out Steve's hair, or threatening to do both at once.

Steve threw his hands up. "You dragged me here! You said, 'Come on, we're going,' and wouldn't tell me where; you said, 'We are going to _talk this out_ ,' you're the one who went to marriage counseling with Rachel for a year, as you're constantly reminding me--"

"No," Danny said, calm and cool the way explosives are in the moment before detonation. "Marriage counseling, we, I don't remember an exchange of rings, _partner_. I don't remember vows, I don't remember flowers, and I certainly don't remember a goddamned honeymoon suite, because cars and alleys and beaches are more your style, you've got like, you've got a kink, I don't know. We are _actually in partnership counseling_ , asshole. With the HPD's _shrink_. Because we're going to _die_ if you don't start listening to me maybe like once a century, _at least_."

"Oh," Steve said. He sat back on the couch, threw one arm over the side and one over the back, so his fingers brushed Danny's shoulder, and looked at the shrink. She shrugged at him, apologetically.

"This happens more often than you'd think," she said.

"Yeah," he said, shrugging back. "Whatever. I still didn't drink the milk. _And_ I listen when it's important."

Danny had gone bright red, the color contrasting with his hair and eyes in an unpleasant kind of way; Steve worried about his blood pressure, sometimes.

"When it's important?" he hissed.

"Sure," Steve said. "Like when you're asking me to marry you like you just did. That I heard. That I understand. But listen, no flowers; you get all crabby when you're allergic."

Danny flailed his hands, apparently struck silent but not exactly uncommunicative; Steve watched him, _are you crazy_ , _are you nuts_ , _do you realize who is listening right now_ , _when I get you home--_ and said, smiling, "You know, I think I understand you just fine."


End file.
